


Inescapable

by MinteaOwO



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Amami x Breathing, Amami x Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, Angst, Blood, But those other ships are there as well, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Groundhog Day, Lots of character death, Multi, Non-Graphic Burning, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Oumami is going to be the main focus in this, Poor Amami, Suicide, That one's kind of a slow burn, That's basically the alt title to this, Time Loop, Trust me it'll make more sense later on, but its going to mostly focus on the first chapter, but what else did you expect from this series?, hopefully some humor as well, not a happy fic, spoilers for pretty much the entire game
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-02
Updated: 2017-02-20
Packaged: 2018-09-21 12:01:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,227
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9548210
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MinteaOwO/pseuds/MinteaOwO
Summary: Amami had concluded a long time ago that whatever this was, it was inescapable. He was trapped, it seemed, in a time loop until one of two qualifications were met.Either they all made it out alive...Or he had to die, over and over and over again...





	1. Loop 16 - Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Ok, so this was an idea that I've had for a while and have been working on in tandem with the other series that I have going. Fair warning, I'm currently putting this story as my top priority as I've kind of lost interest in the others, but I probably still won't keep a steady update cycle. I'll try my best, I'm just not going to make any solid promises.
> 
> Also, I update the tags as I go, so all of the tags currently there (if you're reading this before the next update) are for this chapter.
> 
> Please enjoy, and feedback is very much appreciated!

_Damnit, I really thought that this loop was going to be the one…_

The library floor was cool to the touch, the only sensation other than pain that filled his body. Amami reached out for it, desperately clung to the sensation of the cold floor beneath his palm, much like one would cling to a bit of driftwood in the middle of the ocean. He tried to push through the skull cracking pain radiating from, well his skull, and focus on that cold feeling.

He had actually meant for this to be a timeline that counted, not just another one to dick around in. He’s been through plenty of those in the past. God, why did this have to be all so _unfair_?

He really had been _so_ close to finally, maybe, kinda sort of, figuring a way out of this whole death game. Possibly.

Bottom line was, _this_ was not how it was supposed to go. He had managed to make it all the way to the fourth trial last time, how could he be the first to die again?

It honestly didn't make any sense. It had been a long time since he had been the first victim, almost 14 loops in fact. And he had learned how to take all the necessary precautions in order to make it through the first trial at least. He had even come to the library and survived before, knowing where the killer had set up the trap and how to avoid it completely.

And ok sure, maybe this time he just had to take a look at something close to where the vent was set and pushed his luck just a bit too far? But he had counted out the time before and hadn't done anything wrong so why did he end up like this?

Amami let out a pained groan and closed his eyes as the world around him spun. He knew he was bleeding out, his skull most likely shattered, and he was still trying to focus on everything that he did in this damn timeline. He knew he should just chalk it up to dumb luck and move on, let the “joke timeline” be, but nope. He of course just had to make the pain in his head worse by over thinking well, absolutely nothing!

God he wished he had the strength to end this all himself. Sure it's been awhile since he had to suffer through this, but he did remember how long it took for him to die the first couple of times this way. And let's just say, it wasn't guillotine-fast or anything like that. It was slow. It was painful. It was an honest to god time-waster.

Amami let out another groan and resorted to counting in his head. The whole time he kept his eyes sealed shut, even the dim light from the library made them burn. And he was already in enough pain thank you very much.

He got all the way up to 574 seconds when the pain started to ebb away.

 _Fucking finally!_ He thought a small breath escaping him.

The pain pulsating around his skull began to subside, taking with it Amami’s sense of touch. He felt like he was floating aimlessly. The floor felt like nothing, neither warm nor cold, not smooth or hard, just nothingness. This was it. This was where he finally died.  
He idn't cry, he was much too happy that this timeline was almost over. Every second he spent here meant it was that much longer before a proper solution to the problem could be found. That problem of course being, “how on earth do I save my friends from murdering each other, and escaping with our lives?”.

Amami almost laughed as his body fell numb, the sensation starting from his chest and spreading outward, all the way down to the tips of his toes. He tried to curl his fingers, but unsurprisingly found them incapable of any movement. They just lay there limp and useless, just like the rest of his body.

But even with pain no more than a soft throb in the back of his skull, it was admittedly getting quite difficult to hold back the tears that he did in fact have in his eyes. Not because he was sad about dying again, but having your head cracked open like an egg certainly was anything but an enjoyable experience. And Amami should definitely know, having had to go through that same exact pain at least two prior times.

He could practically feel the seconds ticking away as more and more blood pooled around him, the metallic scent inescapable. Amami still kept his eyes shut and willed his heart to just give up already. What was it doing? Couldn't it tell that Amami was a goner? Didn't it know that Amami didn't _want_ it to keep beating? It was in times like these that he wished the heart wasn't set to auto-pilot...

Eons later, Amami felt his heart finally stop. He had taken to holding his breath as though it would speed up the process. However in his half-dead state, he didn't realize that he didn't have the ability to hold his nose and the air had simply slipped into his lungs that way. Still he was finally going to die and he couldn't be happier.

He happily sighed, resigned to let death finally take him. He felt like a black cloth was softly being draped over his face, blocking out the light and air that kept him in the living world. He smiled knowing that soon he would wake up and be able to try again.

 _But what if that didn't happen?_ As the blackness almost completely overtook his vision, Amami froze.

What if one time he died, but didn't wake back up again? What if he died, and the timeline didn't reset? What if this was his last loop? What if this was his last chance to make everything right and he threw it all away by being careless?

Suddenly the darkness blanketing his eyes didn't feel welcomed. The feeling of not having any oxygen filling his lungs was terrifying. It felt like he was swimming blind, the dark soul-crushing weight of reality dragging him down. What if there was a limit to how many loops he could go through? How many was this? This would be 17 right? What if this was it? What if this was the end? What if-

"Amami! Please, help us!"

Amami first heard them before he saw them. His classmates, or at least the corpse versions of them, floated up from the depths, their screams chased after him and grabbed his ankles like shackles. The faces of his classmates were like iron chains wrapping their way around his legs and pulling him down even further, even faster.

Their suspicious and distrustful glances melded with their looks of kindness and even adoration to create a horror show at his feet. Their expressions were pained and broken, familiar faces pursuing him.

"Amami!  _Please_ help us!" 

He couldn't scream out of fear that the he would be releasing the last breath he had. Amami could hear their screams morph into cries as bodies pulled themselves up along the chains, calling out to him, begging him to save them. He could feel their fingers along his legs, their boney and decaying hands tugging on his pant legs.

And yet he couldn't. He was useless. He was _nothing._

_I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry…_

They were drawing closer, and he could feel their bony decomposing fingers snag at his pant legs, clawing at him and pushing him down into the depths. And Amami no longer struggled, he simply stopped fighting and released the breath he had been holding all this time. His green eyes watched as the bubble of life floated away, up towards the surface as the writhing forms of his dead classmates pulled him along to where he belonged.

And so for the 17th time, Amami Rantarou died.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed it and if you want to, feel free to hmu/yell at me over on my tumblr, minteaowo.tumblr.com
> 
> (Also I just realized that I posted this on groundhog's day lmao)


	2. Loop 17 - Prologue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please check the tags ^^

When Amami opened his eyes all he saw was black, similar to what you would see if your eyes were still shut. So perhaps he hadn't opened his eyes after all? He tried blinking, feeling his eyes shut and then open again, realizing that the world around him was indeed completely dark.

Fear coursed through his veins as his fears seemed to be playing out in front of his eyes. He was dead, he was _dead_ , _he was dead._ He raised a hand, bringing it up to his face. He wanted some kind of reassurance, that he was still really there. That he wasn’t just a formless being drifting about aimlessly. His skin felt warm, like blood still flood underneath of it. And his heart, it was still beating. A-and his lungs, they were still filling up with air.

So was he really alive? Could he still be alive? And if so, then why was he stuck within this dark hell?

Amami reached a hand out to see just how big of a space he was in. Luckily he didn’t have to reach all that far before his hand collided with a hard a cool surface. Immediately he drew his hand back to his chest, heart racing with adrenaline. Was he trapped? He turned to what he assumed to be his left and reached out again only to find another cold wall in his way. What the hell? Why did it feel like, metal?

Amami began spinning in circles, trying desperately to find an escape from this tiny metal box he found himself locked in. He wanted to call out, hoping that someone would hear him and release him from this prison, but in his search for an opening he realized that whatever he was in, was shaped like a coffin.

And if that was true, then calling out would be pointless. If anything it would only use up the precious little oxygen he had remaining. But of course hyperventilating wasn’t going to help much in the breathing department, but Amami was too busy hyperventilating to really realize that.

“Hey, are you alright in there?” A voice called out, and Amami stopped dead in his tracks. Someone was out there. Someone was out _there!_ He whipped around to face the wall that he believed was the door and began pounding on it.

“Yes, please help! I’m trapped inside! Please help me-,” but before he could finish, the wall he was banging on opened and Amami fell forward and onto the ground. The first thing he noticed was the lack of grass and dirt, things one expected would be associated with a coffin. Instead a cold cement floor greeted him. His eyes scanned the room and he took in the cracks that ran up along the walls, vines and plants poking out from in between them. Next he took in the rows of desks all turned to face a weird glowing blackboard-thing.

And that’s the moment when Amami wished that he really was dead.

He looked behind him as though to confirm what he now already knew, and when his eyes landed on the locker, Amami felt heat rise to his cheeks in embarrassment.

He had just restarted another time loop and had woken up in the locker just like always. They had never held a funeral for any of the previous victims, so why would he ever think that he was trapped in a coffin?

But to top it all off, he hadn’t been freaking out over nothing alone. Nope, and now the boy Amami had chosen to ignore as he realized how stupid he had been acting, stood just slightly behind him, laughing at him. _Ouma Kokichi, the SHSL Supreme Leader…_ Amami thought as his green eyes caught sight of his classmate.

The  much smaller boy was not even trying to conceal his laughter, going so far as to hold his sides like Amami’s situation was so funny, it physically hurt. This only made Amami’s cheeks even redder.

They just stayed where they were, Amami not even bothering to get up from his hands and knees, and Ouma laughing hysterically. At first Amami had planned to say something and get him to stop, but now he was honestly kind of interested in seeing just how long Ouma could keep laughing. It was probably a weird thing to do, especially seeing as Amami was the source of the laughter, but he figured he kind of already fucked up this timeline anyway so why the hell not? Let Ouma have his fun for a bit and then try again next time.

However after an incredibly degrading two and half minutes, Amami knew he needed to put a stop to this. With a sigh he shifted his position and got to his feet. Almost immediately Ouma stopped, his intelligent purple eyes scanning Amami and assessing this new situation. After a moment, that same intelligent gaze met Amami’s. Their eyes were locked onto one another, a silent battle of wills playing out between them.

With a sigh, Amami looked away first. He knew perfectly well that if they had gone on for much longer Ouma would have probably started crying or something in an attempt to break Amami. _And he laughed at me for panicking while trapped inside of a pitch black box? At least I wasn’t crying-_ But because for whatever reason, the gods of fate seemed to really hate him in this timeline, and as soon as he thought that Amami became aware of the few tears streaming down his cheeks. He rubbed at his eyes furiously, cheeks growing _even redder_ as Ouma chuckled.

 _Where, oh where, was the emergency exit to this situation? Maybe it would lead to a fire escape and I could jump from it or something..._ Amami thought bitterly, bringing his arm away from his face. Ouma was still just standing there, purple eyes studying him once more. Amami glanced around the classroom growing more and more uncomfortable by the second.

Usually everyone would consider being in a room with a completely silent Ouma a blessing. But when he just got finished laughing his ass off at you for making a fool of yourself, and was now staring at you like he was undressing you with his eyes, it made for quite an uncomfortable experience.

“Uh, hey I’m Amami Rantarou by the way. Um, and you are?” Amami asked, actually hoping that Ouma opened his mouth for once. The other boy blinked in confusion as though he hadn’t really heard what Amami just said.

“What? Oh right, my name!,” Ouma said enthusiastically. “I’m Ouma Kokichi the SHSL Supreme Leader!” He paused, his eyes now shining as he looked up at Amami. “Do you want to know how I came by such a title?” Ouma asked but didn’t even take a breath for Amami to answer before launching right back in, “Well, I got this title for being the leader of a super secret, evil organization! Now don’t waste your breath asking me what it’s called. It’s a super secret organization for a reason right?” Again he barely waited long enough for an actual response, “I will tell you that it has over 10,000 members, and yet not one person has been able to find out about us!”

_That’s because it all a-_

“But that’s probably because it’s all a lie.” Ouma said completing Amami’s thought. The boy stood there looking up at Amami expectantly, like he was waiting for a reaction for all of the information he just dropped. And perhaps if this timeline actually meant something, and having relations with Ouma would be beneficial, Amami would have just played along. But right now he just stood there blankly, his face revealing no emotion. He could visibly see the energy drain from Ouma as he realized he wasn’t going to get anything out of Amami, and for some reason the sight of the supreme leader’s pouty face made his heart twinge.

Amami shook his head and took a few steps back. No, he couldn’t get too attached. Sure he had been friends with Ouma and the others in several of the earlier loops, but this wasn’t loop number 4 or 5. This was loop number 17, and without any way to record his findings, the longer he spent goofing off and making friends, the more likely he was to forget something important.

“Hey, Amami, right? Where are you going?” Ouma asked, tilting his head to the side in confusion. Amami shook his head again, backing up even further. He needed to end this loop right now. He needed to get away from here as soon as possible. He needed to-

_CRASH! BANG! CRASH!_

Somewhere close by Amami heard the familiar sound of heavy machinery moving through the halls outside of the classroom. Well looks like his ticket out of here just arrived.

Ouma immediately made a dash for the door, throwing it open with reckless abandon and yet peered around the corner cautiously. Amami mentally rolled his eyes walking calmly over to where Ouma now stood. He leaned over the other boy, peering out into the hallway with him. They both remained absolutely silent, but probably for completely different reasons.

At first they could only hear the sounds of heavy metal stomping around the hallways, but suddenly there was a flash of red and the blue Exisal piloted by none other than Monokid, rounded the corner. Ouma ducked back slightly, his back now brushing up against Amami’s chest before the green-haired boy  pulled back as well. From where he was now positioned, he could no longer see the Exosaw, but from the look of absolute terror on Ouma’s face and the sounds outside the door, Amami knew it was pretty close.

After a particularly loud thump, Ouma pulled back into the classroom as well. He looked up at Amami like the taller boy would be able to save him from the monster machine closing in on them. Unfortunately, Amami didn’t even have a plan to save himself. His whole “plan” was to throw himself at the machine and hope that the weight crushed him all in one go. After slowly bleeding out in the last loop, Amami really wasn’t up for a long and drawn out death this time. And maybe his “sacrifice” would be enough to buy Ouma a few more seconds to run down the hall safely, since the Exisals weren’t really out to kill them. This one was probably just here because they were taking too long to come to the gymnasium. And what better incentive to get people moving than by threatening them with their lives.

But then again this was Monokid that was piloting the Exisal, so it might very well be there to kill them regardless.

The red light was now glowing brightly in the doorway meaning that the robot suit was almost to the entrance. With a resigned breath Amami turned to face Ouma. “Ok, so you make a break for it and I’ll follow right behind you.” Amami said flatly, gauging Ouma’s reaction. The other boy raised an eyebrow like he was just annoyed by the simplicity of the plan, but his eyes gave away his true terror. This time Amami couldn’t help the twinge in his chest as he looked in to Ouma’s purple eyes, fear blowing his pupils wide. He may know that Ouma was really an obnoxious, petty, lying asshole, but in this moment he just saw a scared teenanger faced with death. Just like he had been the first time he woke back up in the locker after dying. How he had panicked just as much, if not more, than he had this time. How Ouma had initially acted in a similar manner, teasing him for crying, but then stopped when he noticed how shaken up Amami really was. And even if to Ouma that was their first time meeting, he had still made an attempt to comfort Amami in those first few minutes. It was like the Ouma that interrupted investigations and trials had been replaced with a completely different person.

Amami shook his head when he felt a sharp tug on his shirt sleeve. He blinked and saw Ouma glaring up at him, tears in his eyes, and pointing wildly at the door. “It’s coming! Amami we need to go now!” The boy cried up at him and Amami nodded still slightly in a daze. Ouma rushed forward out of the classroom and Amami quickly followed after him. The Exisal sprang to life at the sound of them moving through the hallway, turning and rushing in their direction. Amami found himself gaining on Ouma, running after the shorter boy. It was as they drew closer to the stairwell at the end of the hallway that Amami skidded to a halt, even though his entire body was screaming at him to keep running. Ouma, thankfully, kept running and didn’t even seem to notice that Amami was no longer right behind him like he promised he’d be.

The clanking grew louder and louder, the sound echoing around in his skull. He could make out vague shouts and threats that if Amami didn't start moving, Monokid would have to kill him. But Amami stood firm. As the Exisal drew closer, a new noise joined the mechanical choir. It sounded a lot like one of those ray guns charging up in those old sci-fi films Amami used to watch growing up. He stayed facing down the stairs, the sound mounting behind him. Amami drew in a final breath and waited for whatever was going to happen, to happen.

When Amami had wished for a quick death, he had been hoping that it would also be painless. Unfortunately it didn’t seem like he was getting the best of both worlds in this loop. Like if he was ever given the choice of being smashed over the head with a metal ball, or vaporized by a laser, he would definitely have to go with the metal ball. The feeling that he experienced was short lived, but no less painful. He had always figured that it would feel like you were being roasted alive, but this felt like he had stepped foot onto the sun. Amami’s body involuntarily tried to escape from the searing pain it now found itself in and collapsed to the floor. He drew his hands around his head like they could somehow shield himself from the laser trained directly on him.

All of his clothes, hair and now even his skin was turning to dust in a matter of seconds. How he was still alive was a mystery, by thank god Ouma wasn't around to see this. Even if the young supreme leader wasn’t going to remember any of this happening, Amami still felt some sort of obligation to keep him safe, both physically and mentally. And seeing Amami burnt to a crisp probably wouldn't do wonders for the boy’s mental health.

As darkness finally enveloped his vision, Amami also prayed that this he hadn't just stupidly thrown away his shot.

He would wake up in that locker like he always did, and go about solving this whole mess once and for all.

And so for the 18th time, Amami Rantarou died.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So these first couple of chapters are going to be mostly setup and will probably be a lot shorter than once we get into the actual story. uwu
> 
> Also remember you can always come and hmu/yell at me over on my tumblr, minteaowo.tumblr.com


	3. Loop 18 - Prologue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Look who's back after not updating for a week! So I think for right now, I'm setting a tentative update schedule of every Saturday (est). Don't hold me to this, but I intend to stick with this plan for the most part. 
> 
> Also thank you all so much for the comments and kudos on these past two chapters, they honestly give me life and keep me motivated to see this story through to the end! ^w^

When Amami opened his eyes and found only pitch black, he did not panic. He knew he was not dead nor was he in a coffin. He was alive and inside of the locker.  
  
_I'm alive. I'm alive. I'm alive_. He repeated this mantra in his head, waiting for the numbness wrapped around his limbs to wear off as it always did.

But unlike last time where his body was jolted to life by a sudden rush of adrenaline, life slowly began to creep back into his limbs like he had just woken up from a really deep sleep. Which in a way, was what had happened. He was waking up not only from being knocked unconscious in this reality but also from having his body slow-roasted like a turkey in the last.

And speaking of which, as his body began waking up and the numbness wore off, Amami felt like his skin was still sizzling as though the laser had followed him into this loop. He winced as these invisible flames raked their claws across his skin, the pain doubling in places where his clothes rubbed up against him.

Amami tried to take deep breaths as he knew that physically nothing was wrong with him. This pain was something that he came to expect after going through similar over 17 times now.

And knowing this, he usually tried to seek out the least painful ways to die if he was ending a loop himself, but due to his understandable lack of experience with giant laser burns, Amami was going to have to suffer through the next few hours with the worst imaginary sunburn ever.

Wonderful. Just, wonderful. 

Now if standing still burned, any movement at all only seemed to fan the flames under his skin. Amami grit his teeth and pushed through the pain, running a hand gently over the cold wall in front of him. The cool metal soothed his palm and gave him some reassurance that this would all pass soon enough.  
  
Amami moved his hands up and down along the locker walls, breathing a sigh of relief as he finally found the latch. He pulled it up and pushed outward, wincing as fresh fire washed over his arm when his sleeve brushed up against his exposed skin.

Light quickly filtered into his eyes and he rapidly blinked them to adjust. At first, Amami thought that Ouma hadn't emerged from his locker just yet, but a surprised noise followed by the crashing sound of someone falling off of a desk and onto the floor said otherwise.

Pushing through the scorching flames caused by his sudden movement, Amami rushed to where Ouma now lay on the ground, groaning in pain.

"Oh my god Ouma! Are you ok? Does anything hurt?" Amami asked rapidly, forgetting not to call Ouma by his name in his panic. In response, Ouma let out another groan and clumsily brought his hands up to cover his eyes. Well, at least he didn't seem to notice the slip-up.

Amami looked over the young supreme leader, studying him carefully. "Hey, are you ok?" He asked again, pushing some desks out of the way so he could kneel beside Ouma. He grit his teeth as his pants rubbed against his legs. _Ouma just hit his head on the floor, what you’re feeling is all in your head._

Amami breathed out and settled onto the ground. Once again the boy didn't answer his question, which meant Ouma was either ignoring Amami on purpose, or he was genuinely too dazed to respond.

Amami opened his mouth to try asking yet again when Ouma slowly whined out, "My head hurts."  
  
A sigh of relief left Amami because at the very least he knew Ouma was still conscious enough to talk. "Makes sense, you did fall off of a desk and hit your head on the floor," He said, green eyes scanning Ouma's face.  
  
"I did?" Ouma asked weakly, grimacing as though the light was still able to reach his eyes through his hands.

Amami nodded. "Yeah, do you not remember that happening?"  
  
Ouma shook his head and winced. "N-no I don't."  
  
Amami sat back on his heels with a frustrated breath, trying to figure out what to do now. It was obvious even to someone without a medical degree that Ouma had a concussion. Everything checked off, from the clumsy movements to Ouma forgetting he fell off of the desks.

Of course knowing how to spot a concussion and knowing how to treat one were two completely different things. And while Amami may not have been able to remember his talent, he was certain that he was no SHSL Doctor. 

 _Alright, no need to start panicking. Someone around here has to have some kind of medical training right? Even if it’s just basic first aid there has to be someone._ Amami thought, now mentally running through his classmate’s names trying to find someone who fit the bill.

 _Just the basics, just the basics, just the-_ Amami’s train of thought broke off as Ouma moaned, shifting and trying to curl up into a little ball. Even with the majority of his face covered, it was painfully obvious Ouma was suffering. Amami watched as the poor boy shuffled around on the floor, curling and uncurling his legs in an attempt to find some relief from the pain that he was surely experiencing.

 _He looks so small and fragile like this,_ Amami thought. Ouma looked nothing at all like the person Amami had come to know throughout the course of these loops.

Something in Amami’s chest tightened as he continued to watch Ouma struggle on the ground. “Small” and “fragile” should not be the words used to describe the SHSL Supreme Leader, Ouma Kokichi. Cheerful and a liar, yes, but never small or fragile. And yet here he was, looking like a small child, whining and desperately clawing at his head. 

Amami reached out a hand and pushed a strand of Ouma’s hair back out of his face. The supreme leader whimpered like a kicked puppy and Amami quickly withdrew his hand, heart twisting painfully.

Amami has experienced 18 loops so far, and in those loops, he’s been forced to watch his classmates murder each other in cold blood, unable to prevent a single death.

Well, except for his own of course...

When Amami had first awoken in that locker after dying for the first time, he believed everything he had just experienced had all been a dream. A nightmare. _Not_ reality

When everything seemed to play out the exact same way as it had in the first loop, Amami started to think that maybe he was dead and this was the afterlife. This was hell and he was being forced to repeat the days leading up to his death for all of eternity. He didn't want to believe that. He needed something to show that this wasn't all just some nightmare or his own personal hell.

So he had gone to the library, thinking that if he made it past when he was supposed to die, that this was reality.

And so he waited patiently for what felt like millennia. He waited as he heard something enter the vent. He waited as he saw the ball come crashing towards him. He waited as it smashed into the ground near his foot, remembering the pain it had caused before. But there was no pain this time. The ball had missed. Amami smiled as he picked it up in his hands, feeling the cold surface that his caused his death.

He was alive. He was alive. He was ali-

Pain had exploded in the back of his head and the ball dropped from his hands and landed on his foot. No, he was alive. He wasn't supposed to die now...

The loops that followed hadn't been much better. He still died relatively early on, but eventually learned he could live past the first trial if he avoided the library altogether. (It wasn't until later that he figured out how to still go there and come back out alive.)

After the sixth loop, he had concluded that this was, in fact, a living hell. A way to punish him for all of the horrible things he had surely done, unable to remember thanks to his amnesia.

Amami gripped his hair, biting his lip so hard he swore he could taste blood. 18 loops he's been through. 18 loops full of suffering and pain that wasn't just his own. His classmates, they had all suffered as well. They just couldn't remember it.

But Amami remembered. He remembered everything that they couldn't. Whenever he died, he was the shield protecting them from the horrors of the world beneath their feet.

And yet sometimes, even a shield built for the sole purpose of protecting its wielder, longed for a break. So occasionally Amami would take a step back and let the world through. He hoped that maybe one time the trauma of it all would wake his classmates up. He hoped that maybe one time he would wake up in that locker and Ouma would look at him and say, “Oh my god Amami, you’re not actually dead!” He hoped that one time they _would_ remember so he wouldn't have to suffer alone.

But instead as Amami looked down and saw Ouma staring up at him, hands cupped around his eyes like a visor, and he heard him ask, “What's your name?”, Amami stiffened.

It was stupid to feel hurt after being asked the same question 18 times, but after everything this loop had drug up in Amami’s mind, he couldn't help it. He may become a shield when he dies, but right now Amami was alive, and breathing, and most importantly, _human._

Ouma continued to stare up at him with his violet eyes, and Amami felt himself being pulled into their pained depths.

Amami quickly shook his head and broke the contact, having already seen too much of Ouma’s suffering. “A-Amami Rantarou. I’m Amami Rantarou.” He repeated his name as though he was reassuring himself as to his identity.

Ouma blinked. “Ouma Kokichi,” was all he said before bringing his hands back over his eyes. Something inside Amami whimpered at the disappearance of Ouma’s eyes, but before he could begin to ask that feeling was, it was gone.

Amami looked down at his shaking hands. He was human when he lived, and a shield when he died…

 _Ouma doesn't need a human, he needs a shield._ And he couldn't be a shield if he was still alive.

But how was he going to do it quickly?  Amami first thought of the Exisals, but immediately crossed them off the list with a shudder. He had been so wrapped up in his own mind that he completely forgot about the pain that still burned beneath his skin. Amami shook his head and began to look around the classroom. Perhaps there was an option somewhere in here?

After a moment or two of searching, his eyes zeroed in on a particularly thick looking root growing out near the ceiling. It looked to be over 6’ off the ground, so Amami wouldn’t have to worry about his feet hitting the floor.

A loud moan from Ouma brought Amami rocketing back into reality. Right, he needed to make up his mind quickly here. Casting one more glance over to the root, Amami narrowed his eyes. This was just going to have to do.

Amami pushed himself to his feet and looked down at the supreme leader. _I' will be your shield, Ouma._

“Hey Ouma, I think I know how I can help you out ok?” He said and Ouma responded with a snort of disbelief but didn't say anything more.

Amami took one last long look at Ouma to remind himself why he was doing this and proceeded to walk over to the wall where the root was growing from. _This is going to help him._

He looked up and studied the root now that he was a bit closer. It would definitely be sturdy enough to hold his weight, that was for sure. Amami grabbed a nearby desk and as quietly as he possibly could, moved it over towards the wall. It was apparently still too much for Ouma who let out a whimper at the sound. Amami muttered out a quiet, “sorry” and turned back to his work.

After maneuvering the desk into its proper position, Amami reached down towards his pants and began to undo the belt. Thankfully he wore tight enough pants that the belt was really only worn for show. _Could there be anything more embarrassing than hanging yourself with your pants down?_ He thought and chuckled to himself, desperate for any distraction from his trembling hands.

Amami clambered onto the desk and his head brushed up against the ceiling. This was for Ouma. This was for them all.

And yet, even after dying 18 times, Amami had never purposefully ended a loop himself before. Ok, except for the last loop, but that really was more him letting himself be burned then actually going off and setting himself on fire.

Amami stared down at the belt he held in his shaking hands, thinking for a brief moment, _What the hell am I doing?! Am I seriously about to kill myself over Ouma Kokichi?!_ He looked over at the other boy, still whimpering and crying on the floor.

Strong and confident Ouma Kokichi. Immature and inconsiderate Ouma Kokichi.

 _Not “small” or “fragile”..._ Amami thought, gripping the belt so tight it began to dig into his palm. _Be his shield._

Amami turned back to the root and felt a new fire alight itself beneath his skin. Unlike the fire caused by the laser, this was a soothing fire that pushed him forwards. It was a calming fire that washed away his fears and doubts that this would be the last time he felt air in his lungs.

Now he never considered himself to ever be an ideologist, but as Amami pulled the belt around his neck and kicked the desk out from under his feet, he let the fire numb his body. How he hoped this fire would continue to burn within him in the next loop. How he hoped this fire would be able to help him shield the lives of his classmates. How he _hoped_ that this fire could burn in the hearts of his classmates and keep them from the dark clutches of despair.

Amami smiled because he knew for a fact it would. He knew that this fire was too bright to be extinguished. He knew that hope would win out in the end, just as good would always triumph over evil.

They were all going to make it out of this place alive. Even if it meant Amami would have to die a million times and in a million different ways for it to happen.

It would all be worth it in the end. All the pain and suffering would be worth it for the happy looks on his classmates' faces. He would be their shield…

And for the 19th time, Amami Rantarou died.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was supposed to be a light-hearted kind of setup chapter, but then I gave Ouma a concussion...  
> Also introducing the beginnings of Amami x Poor Coping Methods. Good lord, someone help this boy.
> 
> Also please feel free to hmu over on my tumblr, minteaowo.tumblr.com


	4. Loop 19 - Prologue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thank you again for all of comments and notes I've gotten on this! They honestly give me life ^w^
> 
> (Also, this chapter was going to be at least two to three times as long as it currently, but I ultimately decided to split it into two parts)

Amami’s eyes opened to find himself once more in the locker. He pushed himself off of the wall and searched for the latch in front of him, the movements practically ingrained in his mind at this point. He breathed out a sigh of relief as his hand made contact with the latch, and with a push, he stepped out into the light. 

The first thing Amami noted as he stepped out from the locker was that this time around, Ouma was nowhere to be seen.  _ He was probably still inside his locker,  _ Amami reasoned with himself, walking over to the same set of desks Ouma had been perched on in the last loop. At least  _ he _ didn’t have to worry about falling off of these things.

Amami drew in a sharp breath as the pain finally kicked in. It felt like he was wearing a vice around his neck rather than the thin-corded necklace he currently had on. He moved from the desk to the floor as the world around him spun from a lack of oxygen.  _ Breathe, you can still breathe,  _ he told himself, opening and shutting his mouth like a fish tossed onto dry land. Physically he knew that’s all he had to do, and yet his mind didn’t seem to care. 

He tugged at the necklace, hoping that maybe not having it on would relieve some of the pressure. Amami fiddled with the latch and stuffed the jewelry into his back pocket. It seemed work for a second or two, but the pain remained.

_ It could be worse, I mean, I could be dead, _ Amami thought morbidly. 

But it was true. He could very well have died and left everyone else in the lurch. 

_ They wouldn't have even known my name…  _ He thought leaning back against one of the desks. He had only existed in that last loop for what, like half an hour? Less than that? 

Would Ouma even have been able to remember his name at all? What would Ouma have done when finally he came to and saw some guy he barely knew hanging from the ceiling? The thought alone was enough to make Amami’s stomach churn.  

The sound of a locker clicking open drew his attention to where Ouma now stood, blinking rapidly as his eyes adjusted. 

Amami pushed himself back up to his feet, swaying slightly as the blood rushed from his head. Ouma looked over at him, at first a little shocked to see another person, but the look of surprise quickly disappeared. He began to move over to where Amami was, a bright and cheerful smile on his face. 

As he approached Amami sucked in a quiet breath, preparing to have the same conversation with Ouma for the 18th time. Was it bad he could run through the whole thing word for word? 

...Yeah, it probably was.

Ouma stopped just in front of Amami and smiled up at him. In his head, Amami ran through all of the different variations of the same greeting he knew Ouma would use. Everything ranging from “Hey, I'm Ouma Kokichi, SHSL Supreme Leader” to “Hey, I think you look like a pretty interesting guy.” 

But as he waited for Ouma to say any one of those, he noticed that instead, the supreme ruler seemed to be pretty content with just studying his face. It was admittedly a little weird. 

Ok, maybe more than just a  _ little _ weird, but still. Ouma leaned in closer, actually standing up on his toes to further invade Amami’s bubble of personal space. The green-haired boy tried to back up but found he was pinned when his legs bumped into one of the desks. With nowhere else to, Amami was forced to sit down on the desk and leaned back. Thankfully Ouma didn't try and push himself any further, actually backing off a little himself. 

Amami swallowed as he looked into Ouma’s eyes. He looked like he was thinking about something, the gears turning in his head. Finally, Ouma smiled and asked, “Do I know you? Or do you know me?” 

The world suddenly shifted and Amami had to grab onto the desk to keep from toppling to the ground. No, there was no possible way that he could remember! Amami tried his best to not let his horror show on his face but was probably not doing to best job at it. Ouma snickered, gently swaying back and forth.

“Haha, I'm just kidding! Of course I don't know who you are.” He said, tone mischievous. 

Amami bit the inside of his cheek to keep himself from screaming. Of course he was just messing around, this  _ was  _ Ouma Kokichi, the self-proclaimed pathological liar he was dealing with here. 

However, Ouma stayed where he was and stopped rocking back and forth. A chill ran down Amami’s spine as Ouma’s eyes were on him once more. 

“I may not know who you are, but you still haven't answered my second question.” He pushed towards Amami again, practically climbing on top of him at this point. “Do you know who I am.” 

Amami’s brow was slick with a thin sheen of sweat, and whether it was from the heat of his sweater or Ouma’s close proximity to him, he couldn't tell. He leaned towards the former but knew very well that the latter option also held some weight to it.

He wet his lips nervously. It was clear that Ouma was not going to back off until he heard the truth, but could Amami really give that to him? He could try to lie, but certainly Ouma would be able to catch him on it. He always had in the past, so why would it suddenly be different now?

Still, he couldn't just tell the supreme leader that he knew him. Ouma would find a way to use that against him later, and Amami knew it. 

Amami let out a breath and pushed Ouma back slightly. “I think might know you, I just can't remember much of anything right now.” He said and prayed that it was convincing enough for Ouma. 

The smaller boy nodded like he was mentally filing this information away for later use. It seemed to satisfy his curiosity enough for him to back up more, but as with everything Ouma-related, Amami couldn't be 100% sure.

Well with that out of the way, Amami made his way towards the door only to be halted by a hand catching his shirt. He turned to find Ouma clutching a section of his shirt in his hand, smiling at him mischievously. Amami raised an eyebrow. Weren't they done here? 

“You said you might know who I am, but yet try to leave me without even saying your name?” Ouma asked. 

Oh, right. They never did properly introduce themselves in this loop yet. 

Amami stopped and turned back to face Ouma, who had thankfully dropped his shirt. 

“I'm Amami Rantarou, you?”

“Ouma Kokichi, SHSL Supreme Leader.” 

Amami nodded and awkwardly began shuffling back towards the door, Ouma following right behind him. He sighed in relief as there was no sign of the Exisal to be seen. 

“Watcha’ lookin’ for Amami?” Ouma asked sticking his head out the door as well. Amami shrugged and walked out into the hallway. 

“Thought I heard something is all. Can't be too careful when we don't know where we are right?” He asked looking back to see if Ouma was going to continue following him. Which he was, already moving to Amami’s side. 

“Hmm… that makes sense.” Ouma trailed off, glancing about the hallway. “Do you think that there’s something here with us? Like a killer in a horror movie? What if we’re trapped in like, a horror movie or reality tv show Amami!” Ouma spoke enthusiastically, tone not at all matching the situation he was describing.

“Uh, I don't really think we’re in a horror movie,  _ or  _ on a reality tv show,” Amami responded. God wouldn't that be depressingly fucked up.

Ouma huffed and rolled his eyes. “Well duh, I know that! I said  _ like _ a horror movie or reality tv show. Of course, we’re not actually stuck in either of those things!” 

Amami rolled his eyes and just kept moving. He knew eventually they’d run into somebody and he could pass Ouma off onto them. As bad as he felt doing it, Amami really needed some time to himself to mull everything over. 

Surely whoever it was would thank him for it in the end.

They rounded a corner when Amami heard Ouma gasp, and instinctively put an arm out to guard the smaller boy. However, he felt red rush to his cheeks as he realized Ouma had only spotted another one of their classmates walking down the hall. 

Amami pulled his arm back and Ouma darted forward, not even bothering to comment on what had just happened. He was about to turn and walk away when he saw Ouma practically throw himself at their classmate. _Kiibo the SHSL_ _Robot_ , Amami thought. That was really the only person that could warrant such a reaction from Ouma. The green-haired boy bit his lip, now regretting his decision to leave Ouma with the first person they came across. 

Kiibo already had to put up with Ouma’s teasing as it was, so perhaps he could hand him off to the  _ second _ person they met?

After thinking about it for a second or two, Amami sighed and moved towards the pair. 

Ouma was a whirlwind of childlike energy, bouncing around Kiibo so fast the robot was left no room for escape. 

“Wow you’re so shiny! If I touched you would it smudge? Or can you clean it off yourself? Oh, do you have any lasers!” Ouma asked excitedly, practically using Kiibo as a jungle gym. As Amami drew closer he could see the uncomfortable and mildly unsettled look in Kiibo’s eyes. Had Ouma even asked what his name was yet?

Ouma turned his head and caught sight of Amami, his eyes twinkling like a child who had a new toy they wanted to show off. 

“Amami, look! I found a robot!” Ouma said dramatically, grabbing onto Kiibo’s arm. The robot looked at Amami with an expression that screamed, “help me.” Amami sighed.

“Yeah, Ouma I see that.” He then turned to Kiibo. “I'm Amami Rantarou, and this,” he said gesturing to Ouma, “is Ouma Kokichi.”

“I'm the SHSL Supreme Ruler by the way! And Amami is the…” Ouma paused, brows furrowing. “What was your talent again Amami?” 

“Oh, I can't actually remember what it was,” Amami said quickly, pushing a stray curl back behind his ear. 

“I-I’m Kiibo, the SHSL Robot,” Kiibo said, nervously pressing his fingers together. 

“Wait, you seriously have a talent just for existing!?” Ouma asked and Kiibo nodded. 

“Um, yeah…” He responded, trying to tug himself free from Ouma’s grip. If anything that only made Ouma cling to him more. 

Amami coughed catching both of their attentions. “Hey, Ouma could I maybe talk to you for a second?” He asked hoping to get Ouma away for Kiibo to make his escape. However, the purple-eyed boy tilted his head.

“Ok, what is it Amami?” Ouma asked. 

“Uh, well I kind of wanted to talk to you,  _ alone _ ?” Amami said making a slight gesture towards Kiibo. Ouma looked between him and the robot. 

“Haha, I know!” Ouma said as he finally released Kiibo. The robot seemingly breathed out a sigh of relief, despite his inability to actually breath.

Amami smiled at Kiibo and followed after Ouma who had already continued down the hall. 

Once they were out of earshot, Amami turned to Ouma and frowned. 

“Why did you have to tease him like that?” He asked. Ouma shrugged.

“I don't know, it's funny I guess to see a robot get all flustered like that.” He responded with a smile. 

“Yeah well it was clear that he wasn't really enjoying it too much, so why didn't you stop?” Amami pressed.

“It's fine, he's a robot so it's not like he could actually feel anything,” Ouma stated matter-of-factly.

Amami was going to argue with him but stopped as he caught sight of another pair making their way towards him and Ouma. The supreme leader also noticed them and adopted his usual cheerful smile.

Akamatsu Kaede made a beeline towards them, tugging a slightly more resigned Saihara Shuuichi along with her. The blonde girl smiled sweetly as she approached.

“I don't think I’ve seen the two of you before. I’m Akamatsu Kaede, SHSL Pianist. And this,” she said gesturing to Saihara, “is Saihara Shuuichi the SHSL Detective.” The black-clad boy nodded politely to Ouma and Amami, not really having much else to say seeing as Akamatsu had just taken care of his introduction. 

“Amami Rantarou,” Amami stated simply. 

“I'm Ouma Kokichi, SHSL Supreme Leader!” He smiled up at Saihara. “So, you’re a detective huh?” 

Saihara scratched the back of his head with a nervous smile. “Yeah, but it's nothing all that special.” 

Ouma nodded. “Interesting…” he said, trailing off in thought. 

Amami glanced down the hallway, thinking about how he could possibly sneak away and leave Ouma with Saihara and Akamatsu. 

“Amami, are you alright?” 

The green-haired boy’s head popped up at the sound of his name being called. Akamatsu was looking at him again, concern in her eyes. He frowned involuntarily and fiddled with the necklace in his back pocket. 

“Yeah, I'm fine. Don't worry about it.” He replied, gaze drifting back down the hall.

“Are you sure? You kind of just-” Saihara began only to be cut off by Ouma.

“He said he was fine, and I'm sure he’s not  _ lying _ about it,” Ouma looked at him over his shoulder, “right Amami?”

Amami swallowed, “Y-yeah, right…” He coughed and scratched the back of his head. He  _ really _  preferred to get away from here as quickly as possible.

“Um, well it was nice getting to meet you Akamatsu and Saihara,” Amami said stiffly, stepping away from the group. 

Saihara raised an eyebrow but said nothing. Akamatsu smiled kindly at him, “Oh, it was nice to meet you too Amami!” 

He nodded and turned to continue on down the hallway when the sound of footsteps following after him reached his ears.  _ You’ve got to be kidding me… _ He thought ruefully, not even needing to turn around to know that Ouma would be there. 

“So where to next?” The purple-haired boy asked, sauntering up beside Amami, who sighed.

“I thought you were enjoying yourself with Saihara and Akamatsu? You know you don't have to follow me around everywhere I go, right?” Amami asked.

“Well, don't get big head or anything, but I think you’re a lot more interesting than those two,” Ouma said with a smirk.

“O-oh is that so?” Amami asked, heartbeat increasing. Wait why the hell was his heartbeat increasing? 

He looked over at Ouma, taken in by the boy’s almost genuine smile. However, the illusion was shattered almost immediately as the purple-haired boy began to snicker. 

Amami was shoved back into reality, a blush still painting his cheeks red. 

“Haha, I'm just kidding! Sure you’re interesting and all I guess, but a detective and an evil leader… Now that's a much more interesting combination don't you think?” Ouma asked, staring earnestly into Amami’s eyes.

It was a lie. Of  _ course _ , it was a lie. What else had he expected from Ouma?

…

Had he expected anything else from Ouma? 

As the pair kept moving through the dimly lit hallways, the question stuck in Amami’s head.  _ What else was I expecting him to say? Did I want him to mean it? _

He shook his head. No, he really didn't. Having feelings for Ouma, or anyone for that matter would only complicate things more than they already were. 

Amami really wanted nothing more than to sprint down the hall, leaving Ouma far behind him, and lock himself in his room. He seriously needed some time to himself after everything he’s been through. 

But he also knew that the dorm rooms were closed off until after everyone attended the meeting in the gymnasium. Which really,  _ really _ sucked for him. 

Ouma hummed as they walked, and while Amami had at first tolerated the sickly sweet melody, right now it was the last he wanted to hear. He'd much rather have Ouma talking his ear off than listen to his overly cheerful tune. 

Unfortunately expressing this opinion would surely send Ouma to tears, which on second thought, was really no better than his humming. So Amami tried his best to just ignore him and move on towards the gym. 

The sooner he got this over with, the better it will be for everyone else.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally a chapter that doesn't end in Amami offing himself uwu 
> 
> I wonder how long that's going to last though... :3


End file.
